Supreme Court: The present Special Leave Petition filed under Article 136 of the Constitution, challenged the Delhi High Court’s order dated 29-10-2025 which granted retrospective honorarium to Law Researchers. A Division Bench of Joymalya Bagchi and Vipul M. Pancholi, JJ., on not finding any valid ground to interfere with the order of the High Court granting retrospective honorarium to Law Researchers, dismissed the Special Leave Petition.
The Delhi High Court in Rushant Malhotra v. State (NCT of Delhi), 2025 SCC OnLine Del 10927, stated that once the competent authority had sanctioned the revision, the question of the date from which it would operate fell within the exclusive administrative domain of the Chief Justice under the scheme framed in exercise of powers traceable to Article 229 of the Constitution. The Court noted that the Law Researchers assist Judges in the preparation of case briefs, undertake intensive legal research, track recent developments in law and, given the heavy judicial workload, routinely work beyond court hours, including weekends and holidays. The Court granted enhanced remuneration to its Law Researchers with retrospective effect from 01-10-2022 and directed the release of arrears for the period between 01-10-2022 and 02-09-2025 within a time-bound schedule.
The Supreme Court examined the material on record and declined to interfere with the impugned order. However, the question of law is kept open to be decided in an appropriate case.
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[State (NCT of Delhi) v. Rushant Malhotra, Special Leave Petition (Civil) Diary No(s).6259/2026, Decided on 16-02-2026]
Advocates who appeared in this case :
Ms. Swati Ghildiyal, AOR and Ms. Neha Singh, Adv., Counsel for the Petitioner